Handicrafts

1: How will imports be taxed under GST?

Answer: All imports will be deemed as inter-State
supplies for the purposes of levy of GST. IGST is leviable
on imports in addition to other duties of customs.
Full set-off will be available as ITC of the IGST paid on
import on goods and services.

2: How will exports be treated under GST?

Answer: All exports will be deemed as inter-State
supplies. Exports of goods and services will be treated
as zero rated supplies. The exporter has the option
either to export under bond/Letter of Undertaking
without payment of tax and claim refund of ITC or pay
IGST by utilizing ITC or in cash at the time of export and
claim refund of IGST paid.

3: How can IGST be paid?

Answer: The IGST can be paid by utilizing ITC to the
extent available and balance by cash. The use of ITC for
payment of IGST will be done in the following order:

  • ITC of IGST shall be used for payment of IGST first;
  • Once ITC of IGST is exhausted, the ITC of CGST shall
    be used;
  • If ITC of both IGST and CGST are exhausted, ITC of
    SGST shall be used. Remaining IGST liability shall be discharged in
    cash. GST System will ensure maintenance of this
    hierarchy for payment of IGST using the credit.
  • However, IGST on imports has to be paid in cash
    only.

4: What are the provisions for refund of taxes for exporters in GST

Answer: Provisions relating to refund are contained in
section 54 of the CGST Act, 2017. It provides for refund
of tax paid on zero-rated supplies of goods or services
or on inputs or input services used in making such
zero-rated supplies, or refund of tax on the supply of goods
regarded as deemed exports, or refund of unutilized
input tax credit. Identical provisions exist under the
IGST Act, 2017 and relevant SGST/UTGST Acts.

5: Can unutilized input tax credit be allowed as refund to exporters?

Answer: Yes. Section 54(3) of the CGST Act, 2017
provides for refund of any unutilised input tax credit of
inputs and input services at the end of any tax period
except where

  • (i) the goods exported out of India are subjected to
    export duty; or
  • (ii) the exporter claims drawback of CGST or refund of
    IGST paid on such export.

6: What is the procedure for claiming refund by exporters?

Answer: Refund can be claimed by filing an application
electronically in prescribed form along with required
documents through the Common Portal, either
directly or through a Facilitation Centre notified by
the Commissioner. The refundable amount shall be
electronically credited to any of the bank accounts of
the applicant mentioned in his registration particulars
and as specified in the application for refund.For
details Chapter X of the CGST Rules, 2017 relating to
refund may be referred to.

In case of refund of IGST, the shipping bill filed with
the Customs is treated as an application for refund
if the exporter has filed a valid return in Form GSTR3/3B
and the person in-charge of the conveyance
carrying the goods to be exported has furnished an
export manifest/report. Upon receipt of information
regarding furnishing of a valid return in FORM GSTR-3
or FORM GSTR-3B by the exporter from the Common
Portal, the Customs authorities at the port of export
shall process the claim for refund and an amount equal
to the integrated tax paid in respect of each shipping
bill shall be electronically credited to the bank account
of the exporter.

7: What is the time limit for grant of refund?

Answer: Refundable amount shall be sanctioned
within 60 days from the date of receipt of application
complete in all respects. However, as a measure of
facilitation to exporters, except for certain notified
categories, ninety per cent of the amount excluding
the amount of input tax credit provisionally accepted
will be refunded provisionally within seven days from
the date of acknowledgement.

8: Will the principle of unjust enrichment apply to exports?

Answer: The principle of unjust enrichment is not
applicable in case of exports of goods or services as
the recipient is located outside the taxable territory.

9: Today under VAT/CST merchant exporters can purchase goods without payment of tax on furnishing of a declaration form. Will this system be there in GST?

Answer: No, there is no such provision in GST. Tax will
be payable on their inward supplies and they can claim
refund of the accumulated ITC.

10: Whether goods sent by a taxable person to a job worker be treated as supply and will they be liable to GST?

Answer: No, the goods sent by a registered person to
a job worker is not a supply, as there is no transfer of
title and no consideration for the goods is involved. In
terms of section 143 of the CGST Act, 2017 a registered
taxable person (the principal), after following the
prescribed procedure,may send any inputs or capital
goods, without payment of GST, to a job worker for job
work and the principal shall either

  • (i) bring back such inputs or capital goods after
    completion of job work or otherwise within the
    prescribed period i.e. 1 year in case of inputs and
    3years in case of capital goods, or

  • (ii) supply such inputs or capital goods, within such
    prescribed period, on payment of tax within India,
    or with or without payment of tax for export, as the
    case may be.

If the goods or, capital goods, as the case may be, are
not returned to the principal within the time specified
above, the same shall be deemed to have been supplied
by the principal to the job worker on the date the goods
were sent out to the job worker and the principal shall
be required to pay tax accordingly on such supplies.

11: Is a job worker required to take registration?

Answer: As job work is a service, it would be considered
a supply and the job worker would be required to obtain
registration if his aggregate turnover exceeds the
prescribed threshold of Rs.20 lakhs or, as the case may
be, Rs.10 Lakhs.

12: Whether exemption from all duties of Customs be available on imports under exemption schemes such as EPCG, Advance licence etc under GST regime?

Answer: No. Exemption will be available only from
Basic Customs Duty. IGST will be payable on such
imports. However, the importer can avail ITC of IGST
paid and utilise the same or claim refund in accordance
with the provisions of the CGST Act, 2017 and rules made
thereunder.

13: Can duty credit scrips received as incentive by exporters such as MEIS, SEIS etc be utilised for payment of all duties at the time of import?

Answer: No, these scrips can be utilised only for
payment of Basic Customs duty. IGST cannot be paid by
utilising these scrips.

14: Will drawback at higher rate be available to handicraft exporters who do not avail Input Tax Credit (ITC) like presently available to those who do not avail CENVAT credit?

Answer: No. There will be no difference in rate of
Drawback for exporters not availing ITC in GST regime.
In GST regime, drawback will be admissible only at
lower rate determined on the basis of customs duties
paid on imported materials used in the manufacture
of export goods. However, as an export facilitation
measure, for the transition period of 3 months
from July to September, 2017, drawback at higher
composite rates will continue to be granted subject
to the condition that no input tax credit of CGST/IGST
is claimed, no refund of IGST paid on export goods is
claimed and no CENVAT credit is carried forward.

15: Is GST payable on consideration received for sale of scrips?

Answer: Yes. Scrips are goods and sale of scrips has
to be treated as supply of goods. GST at applicable
rate will therefore be payable.

16: Would GST be payable on goods not intended to be sold, taken out for participation in overseas exhibitions and trade fairs and brought back into India as these goods are meant for exhibition only?

Answer: GST is not payable in such cases. Exporters
will need exhibition participation letter and no foreign
exchange involved letter from the concerned bank
for the purpose of exchange control requirements.
At the time of re-import, identity of goods imported
with export goods needs to be established to seek
exemption from import duty in accordance with
Customs provisions. IGST will be exempted at the
time of re-import in view of exemptions granted under
Customs.

17: Will an exporter be required to pay GST in case of goods procured from unregistered persons?

Answer: In case of supply by an unregistered person,
the registered person i.e., exporter shall be liable to pay
GST under reverse charge mechanism for purchases
above five thousand rupees in a day. However the
exporter can avail ITC of such GST paid and either
utilise the ITC or claim refund of the same.

18: Will credit of duties be available on inputs and inputs contained in semi-finished goods/finished goods lying in stock of an exporter who was not registered under existing laws, as on appointed day of GST?

Answer: Yes, provided the exporter was not liable to
be registered under the existing law.

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